Kichabd eaton



Patented Jan. l, 11867..

feiten gisten @anni @fnf 'RICHARD EATON", 0E LEE, ENGLAND. y .L eam Patent No. 60,706, daad January 11867.

FIRE GRAIE FOR STEAM BOILERS.

TO AIJL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

, Be it known that I, RICHARD EATON, of Lee, in the county of Kent, and kingdom of England, have invented a new and useful improvement in Fire Grates for Steam Boilers and 'I do hereby declarethatthe-following is a. full, clear, and exact description thereof, whichwill enable others skilledin the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partrof, this specification, in whichv Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a re grate of my invention, with apparatus attached fo: closing and .opening the grate-bara at pleasure for the admission of ,more or'less air'into the re.

Figure 2 is a'plan view of thesame. n Figure 8 is a section of a re grate havinga modied form of grate-bars. Figure 4 is a plan of a square-formed re grate with stationary grate-bars. l Figure 5 is a vertical section of the same, withthe ash-pan and other apparatus attached, for a locomotive engine.' i Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

y This invention relates to an improved mode of constructing fire grates and furnaces for locomotive and other steam boilers-.to burn wood or peat, and consists in the arrangement of grate-bars of novel form, in' a peculiar manner, and other' apparatus inconnection therewith, whereby a more perfect combustion and an importaart saving of fuel are eeeted. Instead of employing grate-bars with narrow edges laid 'side by side, forming a--fiat or level grate, with vertical air passages between the bars, as usual, directing the air upward into the re, I make broad grate-'bars and arrange them to overlap and underlap each other in steps or terraces, -with hori zontal divisions between the bars, directing the air laterally toward the sides of the re-boX. Fire grates may be constructed upon this plan of arrangement invarious geometrical figures, either circular, elliptical, or polygonal, and the grate bars may be made stationary, to risein steps from all sides of the fire-box to the middle, 'or the grate-bars may be made to extend from side to side of the vtire-box and turn upon pivots on their ends 'by means of a lever for the` purpose of opening and closing them, to admit more or less air` intothe re at pleasure. In n connection with my improved fire grate for wood and peat fires, I attach to the ash-pan in front a wire-,gauze or perforated sheet-iron guard for preventing the hot embers and cinders from dying out, which is particularly applicable to locomotivef engines. Also, in order further to promote combustion and increase the heat of a wood or peat re, from which large volumes of unconsumed gases are thrown oti, I introduce an additional supply of freshf atmospheric air above the tire to furnish the complement of oxygen required for the' perfect ignition of the gases, bymeans of air-pipes leading from the ash-pan or from the outside of the fire-box.

A A A represent broad grate-bars arranged Ain steps or terraces one above another, so that their edges or sides shall underlap and overlap and leave lateral air-passages, a a a, between the bars.' The grate-bars may be horizontal or placed at any angle laterally., inclining upwards or downwards from the horizontal, or radiating from the perpendicular; but I prefer that they shall not exceed an angle of fifteen degrees either way from the horizontal. Or the edges forming the laps of the grate-bars-may be turned upward and downward to correspond with each other, and form an angle for `the air-passages inclining downward on the outer edgcs of. the bars, to prevent the hot coals from dropping through them into the ash-pan, as they do with vertical air-passages between the grate-bars, as usually constructed. This arrangement of the grate-bars' and air-passages serves also to give a downward direction to the air-draught immediately into the lower stratum of hot embers lying under the body of fuel and to throw the currentof iame outward against the sides ofthe fire-box, where it will act most effectivelyy on the boiler for generating steam. In l'igs. 1 and 2 are shown an arrangement of the grate-bars running from end to end of the tire-box, and having pivots or bearings at'their ends, which rest in suitable recesses, cast or bored in the transverse beams which go across the furnace and support the bars in the ordinary manner. Cast in one piece with the grate-bars, or firmly fastened to twogor more of them, are placed vertical projections or levers, Z; b, which are connected by links or rods, c c, with a bell-crank lever, d, worked by the rod e, which-is placed outside of the furnace Convenient to the engineer or ireman, for the purpose of closing or opening the air-passages al a a, to admit more or less air into the tire, as may be desired.v Figs. 4 and 5 represent a square fire grateformed of stationary grate-bars A A A, made on the same plan and arranged with steps on four sides, rising towards the middle of the ire-box, surrounded with a broad cast-iron hearth-plate, B, which may be covered with fire-brickto protect the iron, and also conserve the heat in the furnace.. The. inner sides or .edges of the hearth-plate B turn up and underlap the lower gratebars A, and the outer edges also turn down and overlap narrow side pieces, f f, which are attached to the sides of the fire-box. The hearth-plate and'grate-bars are separated and supported on each other by suitable blocks or ribs, g g, cast o'r fastened on one or the other of them. Fig. 3 represents a re grate constructed of grate-bars, modified in form, the edges or sides vof which overlap and underlap each other upon the same principle of construction, to give alateral passage to the draught of air intothe fire, while they also prevent the hot embers from falling into the ash-pan. To preventthe hot cinders and coals from dying out of the ash-pan in locomotive engines, I suspend a coarse wire-gauze' or perforated plate-guard, z, iig. 5, in the front part of the ash-pan @which admits the air and is raised only for cleaning out theashes.- Iron plate dampers, z'z', are also suspended in the front and rear of the ash-pan. The

guard-plate andfdampers are attached by bolts todamper-vshafts, as usual, and worked by the ordinary levers `and rods connected with the vfoot-board. To furnish 'oxygen to the carbonic gases whichwould otherwise pass off without the evolutionof heat, I introduce fresh air into the fire-chamber through one'or more pipes, lc,- leading up from the aslifpan or from outside f the chamber, the supply of airbeing-regulated by a vdamper or valve. l, connected with a rod, m, placed within convenient reach of the engineer or fireman.

'Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 'isl `1.* 1 claim the improvediire grate. for wood or peat, formed of broad grate-bar s, placed-che above another,l

.in steps or terraces, with their edges-.or sides over and underlapping-each other, directing the passage'ot' air into the fire laterally between them, and to prevent the dropping of hot coals into `the ash-pan, constructed and arranged substantially as hereindescribed.

2. I claim lthe combination of thebroad grate-bars A A A, with the levers b b land d, connected by the rods c e, to open'and close the .air-'passages a a a between the grate-bars as' described. substantially arrangedas herein.

described.

3. I claim the wire-gauze or perforated plate-guard h,in combination with the dempers z'and the ash-pan C, constructed and arranged substantially as Aand for the Vpurposes herein described.

4;. I claim the air-pipe k, in combination with thegrates A A A, arranged substantially in the manner and for the' purposes herein described.

' RICHARD EATON.

Witnesses: v

FRANK R. PATCH, C. G. H. DRUMMQND. 

